ALCOPOPS entrepreneur Peter Ward is the toast of the South after being named the South Region Consumer Products Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mr Ward’s company, Thomas Hardy Holdings Ltd, of Theale, cashed in on the alcopops craze, brewing and packaging the novelty drinks just as the market boomed.

His timing helped company profits fizz, increasing 10 fold in a four year period. It’s such rapid growth that it has helped land him the prized Ernst and Young’s business “Oscar.”

The 56-year-old established the company in 1997 after turning round the fortunes of Dorset brewer Eldridge Pope and then buying it for

himself.

Thomas Hardy Holdings Ltd now employs 250 people and boasts an annual turnover of £24 million – a figure the skillful entrepreneur plans to double in the next two years.

Mr Ward told the Evening Post: “It’s always nice to be recognised for the effort. It came as a surprise to be nominated and even more to actually win and move forward to the nationals.

“People will look at the press and media coverage and realise what it means and

this can only help the

company.”

But he added: “I have only brought a kind of purpose and focus to where there was a niche opportunity.”

The Theale brewer is unique in the UK in having no pubs, brand names or marketing.

Instead the company makes and packages products for major players in the industry including Scottish Courage, Bass, Interbrew, Guinness, Bacardi, Seagrams and Lowenbrau.

Entrepreneurial services partner at Ernst and Young’s Reading office, Andrew Jupp, said: “As regional award recipient, Peter automatically becomes a member of the Entrepreneur of the Year Institute, which bring together successful business people from around the globe.

“He goes forward to the National Entrepreneur of the Year finals and, if successful there, on to the World Entrepreneur of the Year 2002.”

Speaking on his chances in the next stage of the

competition, Mr Ward said: “We have still to keep working at it but things are absolutely booming at the moment.